The English press record our adventurous trip!

I  thought that, before I start the story of my life in Rhodesia,  I would include this newspaper cutting which was printed in the Evening Chronicle, the daily paper circulated in the Bath area in Somerset, shortly after our arrival in Salisbury.

As it is difficult to read, this is a reprint.

BATH MAN TELLS OF 8,000 MILES BY CAR TO AFRICA.

Elephant Gave Them Their Most Anxious Moment.

After a road journey of nearly 8,000 miles from Bath, Mr and Mrs Donald Beak, formerly of Fiveways Garage, Batheaston, and their two children are now settling down in Southern Rhodesia.

They went there the hard way, driving in their own Land Rover through France, across the Sahara and on through Africa, to start a new life in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia's capital.

Now they are making their home in a caravan which they had sent on to Southern Rhodesia by sea.  In their hotel just after their arrival Mr Beak said " We decided to emigrate because of the high taxation in England.  We chose Southern Rhodesia because we thought it would be the most pleasant of the places in the Commonwealth, to which we could go.

WIFE'S IDEA

"Going by road was my wife's idea.  We spent six months planning the trip and another six months getting ready.  We started off from Bath on Jan 22 - my wife Dulcie, our son David, aged 16 and our daughter Diane aged nine, and myself."

After crossing France they sailed on Jan 29 to Algiers.  "On Feb 3, we started what we expected would be the worst patch of the journey, the crossing of the Sahara.  It is waste land of every description - mountains and flats, sand and rock, with no sign of life of any kind.

"Actually it was not as bad as we had expected.  The road is a rough track, but it was negotiable for a vehicle like ours.

"We stopped every so often for water, which was available at wells; there was also petrol at pick up points.

"There is a certain amount of traffic across the desert.  Transport trucks supplying the desert villages make a series of patrols and the Foreign Legion forts keep in touch by radio, so travellers are not completely lost."

THE TRUE DESERT

"The true desert is the section between Tamanrasset and In Guezzam - 250 miles of soft sand.  We got across it in 10 hours and had to dig ourselves out only twice.  I got across by simply driving flat out.  For long stretches there was no road at all and we had to drive by compass.

"We stayed four days at the hotel in Kano.  Here £70 was stolen from my brief case in a hotel wardrobe.

"On the way to Fort Archambault we went through Bongor, the most primitive town we saw on our journey,  The natives wore literally no clothes and were still using the disc ornaments which they carry in the lips and ears.  Some were carrying bows and arrows. They were though very friendly and brought us a bowl of milk.  The roads here were fair, but there were many hazards. We crossed the rivers on primitive native ferries and once we had to make a big detour because a bridge had collapsed.

"Once a bridge collapsed under us and we could not get the car free until 60 or 70 natives had come to our rescue.

"We crossed the equator at 6,000 feet and had never felt so cold in our lives.  We did not have a 'crossing the line ceremony' because we were not quite sure where the line was."

After crossing the equator, the party had an experience which they will remember for the rest of their days.

"Driving along a narrow road we suddenly saw the hind quarters of an elephant - 15 feet away"  Mr Beak said.  "He turned around, blocked the road, flapped his ears and raised his trunk; it was an anxious moment. "He started to walk towards us.  We just banged into reverse gear and drove back 150 yards - and believe me, no car ever reversed so fast!

WADDLED OFF

"For 15 minutes the elephant stood and watched us.  We thought of all the stories we had heard about elephants in that part of the country over-turning cars.  Then the elephant rubbed his back on a tree, turned and waddled off.  We decided to make a dash for it.  We drove towards the spot where he had left the road - only to find him touching distance away.  We just scraped past him racing by so as to give him no time to do anything.  It worked - we didn't see any more of him."

Later they heard lions, and saw a leopard crossing the road at night.

OVER THE BORDER

When they crossed the border into Northern Rhodesia they felt they "were getting somewhere".  By now the miles to Salisbury had come down to 3 figures - all the way so far it had been four.

"We crossed the Zambezi into Southern Rhodesia at Chirundu and drove to Salisbury.  When we started the mileage on our speedometer was 5,160; when we arrived  we had clocked up to 12,896 - we had done 7,736 miles" Mr Beak said.

" We didn't have a puncture throughout the journey. We broke three springs, which we replaced, and we replaced a water pump gland; that was all the mechanical trouble we had.  To drive to Southern Rhodesia is a good trip for an engineer, but it's no ride for a novice.

"And Southern Rhodesia, well here we are now, living in our caravan at Coronation park, Salisbury;.  It looks fine - we like it very much.  I am going to get a job and look around" he added.

My Life Before Charente to be continued :-) 

 

The section of my life story during our overland trip is published on Kindle if you should be interested:-

 

See

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/THE-GREAT-1953-TREK-ebook/dp/B008KK0KHU/ref=pd_ys_iyr1

Algiers

January 31 1953 (Saturday)

Dad got up at 07h15 and took the Land Rover to the local garage, where he could leave it for servicing, before returning for breakfast.   It was a beautiful day again, and we were glad that we had bought our sunglasses.   I decided that I would like to stay in the gardens at the hotel, while the others all went into Algiers to do some last minute shopping.   They purchased 4 topis ( rigid tropical hats) which amused me on their return; we wouldn't get sunstroke and why shouldn't we look like Big Game Hunters!?   They also took the latest batch of films, taken in France and Algiers, to be developed.   We had a new camera and wanted to make sure that everything was in order.   It would have been a disaster to arrive at the other end of the journey to find we had a whole load of blanks to look at! Nothing could have been much worse than not to have a record of the incredible trip we were about to undertake.   Who would believe that we had even done it?   At least, this would give us some time to rectify any mistakes that we may have made.   Mum and David then came back to the hotel, while Dad went off to collect the Land Rover.   At this stage, with what currency we had left on us, we needed to step lightly as we could not afford to get caught out by an emergency.    Not easy to draw money from the bank in the middle of the Sahara Desert!

In the grounds of the St George Hotel Algiers, David, myself and Mum.

February 1 1953   Land Mileage 0734

The beginning of a new month – we all wondered where we would be at this time the following year.   

We took a few photographs, then Mum, Dad and I went to the lovely little English Church just down the road, for the morning service.    Unfortunately, we seemed not to have taken any photos of the church! Afterwards we went for a stroll and admired the Arab women in their Moslem dress.  In the afternoon we went and had a look around the very interesting museum and from there, into the park to watch the children at play.  

On the steps of the Museum in Algiers.

The fountain at the museum.

and some of the children playing nearby.

There was a small  boating lake in the park and the children were having great fun sailing their boats.   One over-enthusiastic child overstepped the mark and went in head first, but apart from being a little wet and getting a fright, no harm was done.    On our return to the hotel, we got talking to the doorman, who had been there on our previous visit.   He was very interested in our forthcoming trip, but without saying so outright, he was obviously of the opinion that we were definitely not right in the head and the whole thing was a pretty foolish idea.   Maybe he was right, reading the following.......

This is an extract from the 1948 edition of the A.A. Trans African Highways Book, the book which we used to plan our route from Algiers to Kano!    "An official statement issued by the British Foreign Office in December 1947 declared that 'it is sheer folly to attempt the Trans-Sahara journey without adequate knowledge and resources'.   Evidently this is a venture not to be undertaken lightly"   The 1947 statement also gave advice re vehicle and food and the following four points are made.  1) a high ground clearance and wide section low pressure tyres are essential.   (The latter are required for driving through the sand).   2) for getting out of soft sand, sandmats or equivalent, shovels, a few planks and rope must be carried.  Tinted sand goggles, compass and first-aid outfit are indispensible (We did not have the planks, but we had the remainder with us).  3) besides adequate repair outfits, it is advisable to carry a reasonable amount of spares for the more exposed portions of the vehicle  4)   do not start if the sun is on the radiator and there is a following wind.  I presume that the latter had something to do with over heating but......

February 2 1953

Monday morning and off to the A.A. for the required signatures.   We were there for two hours (!) and still had to go back there again in the afternoon.  It was a good job that we had not planned to leave immediately after the visit.  We went back to the hotel and generally tidied up the Land Rover to make sure that everything was in the right place, as we wanted to leave first thing the following morning.   In case of problems, we did not want to waste time searching for the item required!   After seeing that everything was in order, Mum and Dad went back to the A.A. to get the letter for the S.A.T.T.  They also collected the agreement for us to cross the Sahara Desert and handed over all necessary money in payment for the required permissions.

They then bought all the necessary stores and plenty of tinned food.   The storekeeper was apparently amazed by all the food that we were buying; little did he know we would probably not see another general store for some time in the future!  The fuel tanks were then topped up and the water tank on the roof filled to capacity.   I had stayed at the hotel during this shopping expedition and the collection of forms and was eagerly awaiting their arrival back.   I was ready to start moving and really get the trip underway!  Together we packed all the food away and as much as possible of the other items we had into the Land Rover, to save time in the morning.    We had a really good meal that night at the hotel, knowing that from here on we would be eating tinned food and army rations for some time to come.  We also had a fairly early night to enjoy a comfy bed; the next comfort after this was a thing of the future.   It could be days, but on the other hand it may well be weeks.   I think that we were all far too keyed up with the prospect of what was going to happen on the morrow, that proper bed or not, none of slept very well.   Our thoughts wandered off in many directions before sleep finally caught up with us.

To be continued :-) 

I have put this section of my life story on Kindle if you should be interested:-

 

See

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/THE-GREAT-1953-TREK-ebook/dp/B008KK0KHU/ref=pd_ys_iyr1

Marseilles to Algiers

January 29 1953 

We had a lazy morning (for us) in bed, only getting up at 08h00!   We packed up our overnight cases, paid our bill and caught a taxi down to the boat. We passed through Customs and then sat in the 'waiting room' until 10h45. Suddenly, everyone in the room made a dash to the boat, so we decided that maybe it would not be a good idea to get left behind!    There must have been some hidden signal that we did not know about! It was a lovely ship and when we boarded, we were taken to our cabins where we quickly dropped our cases, so we could go up onto the deck to watch the tugs pulling us out to sea. 

Looking across to the land, we could see the famous Château D'If on our left. The chateau, whose first stone was laid in 1516 by King Francois 1 and finished in 1529, was built as a fortress to guard the port of Marseilles. It is built on a rocky island in the Mediterranean and in 1634 the chateau was used as a detention centre for political prisoners. It is now mainly a tourist attraction and the island is uninhabited. The chateau was made famous by the French writer Alexandre Dumas, in his 19th century novel, The Count of Monte Cristo. 

 Château D'If 

The weather was definitely much warmer than we had encountered in the last few days, and we knew now that we had to be heading for the sunny coasts of North Africa! We had no idea if meals were included in the fare, but after having made our way out to sea, we decided that the dining room was a good place to visit next. Regardless of the hole it might make in our travel budget, we sat down at 12h15 to what was a sumptuous lunch. We ate solidly until 14h00 and the meal included everything one could think of, from cold meats to lobster and coffee to red and white wine. Mum had visions of Dad, who had been an engineer in the Merchant Navy, having to take on a job to pay for the feast, while the rest of us might have to take on the washing up for several trips - what a thought! No bill was forthcoming when we left the dining room, so we thought rightly that all meals were inclusive. Feeling extremely full, we went down to the cabin and unpacked the necessities, including the pack of cards and had a very lazy afternoon in the lounge. At 16h00 we were served tea and cakes, after which we decided that a walk was really necessary before the Land Rover collapsed under all the extra weight it was going to have to carry!    At 19h00 the gong was rung to say dinner was ready! I think that we must have been worried about starving for the next few weeks, as off we went and spent an hour and a quarter on a five course meal. 

We then went for another stroll around the deck, as none of us could have possibly slept, having over-eaten during the course of the day. We suddenly realised that we needed to put our watches back another hour, having already had one time change in France.

I went off to bed, while the others went to see what was happening in the lounge. Apparently everyone there seemed to be playing some sort of game,

but it looked far too strenuous and as they knew there was an early start ahead of us the following morning, it was decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and they all came down to join me in the cabin. 

January 30 1953 

We had a wake-up call at 05h30. We did the necessary chores, and dare I say it, we went off to the dining room for breakfast!   We docked at 06h30 when 'swarms' of Arabs came aboard to carry off luggage etc. For this we were very grateful. Not only did they carry everything for us, but we suddenly became part of the 'family' and went through Customs at great speed, only waving our British passports under the noses of the Customs officers!    We were on North African soil and the adventure was about to begin!

Dad went off with one of the Arab porters, while the three of us sat and waited for the Land Rover to be offloaded. We were busy watching all the hustle and bustle of the docks, when we saw that the offloading was beginning, with a few cars. Sometime later, we saw the Land Rover in the air and next thing, that was also ashore. There was a lot to do before we were on our way again, meanwhile the three of us got a taxi and went off to the hotel. Having stayed at the same hotel in 1951 when I had decided I wanted to holiday in Africa, we knew what to expect. Everyone seemed very pleased to see us again and all the same staff were still at the hotel. Dad meanwhile was trying to make sure that we had all the necessary permits, including ones for the guns. 

It was a beautiful day and we knew that we were definitely under an African sky. The sun shone down and the sky was a cloudless blue!   What a difference from the chilly England of a few days earlier, and the snowy roads that we encountered in France. We walked through the beautiful gardens with their waving palm trees, and marvelled at such a day for the end of January. Time to pack the duffel coats away!   We wondered what the weather was like in England and felt sure that everyone would still be freezing over there. Dad returned to the hotel and then went off to the A.A. office, which was close by. He discovered that we could do nothing until Monday, as we had to get a signature on a document to present to the S.A.T.T. (Société Africaine des Transports Tropicaux).

I have put this section of my life story on Kindle if you should be interested:-

 

See

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/THE-GREAT-1953-TREK-ebook/dp/B008KK0KHU/ref=pd_ys_iyr1

My First Trip to Africa

Early in 1951, my father had asked me where I would like to go on holiday that year.   I am sure that any other child would probably have come up with a trip to Brighton, Wales, Ireland or even maybe France again, but no, I decided that I wanted to go to Africa!  I think this request must have left my parents a bit dumbfounded, but, so as not to disappoint me, a drive was planned through France, via Paris to Marseille and then a short flight over to Algiers.

Algiers Airport - 1951

A week was spent in glorious sunshine, seeing all the sights that Algiers had to offer, from the Casbah, which is the "old city", with a labyrinth of passageways to explore or get lost in, to trips out of town, to see the Bedouin on their camels in the desert. 

 Above and below in the Casbah

My mum was convinced she was going to meet a handsome Arab on a white charger, but the closest she came to that was our guide with a hired car! This latter was a Ford Vedette which was quite a large car for its time, manufactured by Ford  France in their factory in  Poissy from 1948-1954 and which conveyed us out on the trip to the desert.   

The Ford Vedette with me looking out of the back window!

The guide  in fact probably saved my Mum's life, as at one spot where we stopped, she had wandered off alone.   It was evening prayer time and many of the Bedouin  were kneeling down praying, not too far from us.   The sun was very low, and in moving away from the rest of us, Mum had walked across the long shadows of the prostrate worshippers.  A large pack of dogs came straight for her and only on command from our guide, did they stop, inches away from her!  He rescued her, and bringing her back to the rest of us, we were told never to walk across the shadows while people were at prayer; undoubtedly you were in serious danger from the pack dogs that followed the Bedouin tribes.

 In the desert near Bou Saada, I am obviously unsuccessfully trying my riding skills on a camel!

 Photos above and below at Bou Saada

El Hamel. another village that we visited in Algeria.

After our trip out to the desert, we spent a little time back at the St George Hotel in Algiers.  The hotel has now been renamed as Hotel El-Djazair and I remember it then as being quite beautiful.

Mum taking it easy in the gardens at the hotel with David and myself

Dad and I meeting up with some of the local monkeys!  Note, I have Topsy my doll in my hand here; this is the doll that flew out of the window on our trip to France the previous year, but was eventually recovered!

Another shot, of David and I  with one of the locals - they must have been tame in those days!!

On our way home, we stopped off at the Hotel Regina in Cannes for a couple of nights.  The hotel is still there, but my guess is that the cars that are parked outside it today are a little more modern!

Myself, David and Mum taking a break from the sun at the Hotel Regina.